Understood - but at the beginning of 2012 FLR(M)s were being processed in 8 weeks, and in the years preceding the average was a steady 14-16 weeks from submission to receiving docs back. I have found statements from people who applied in 2011 where the Immigrations Enquiry Bureau staff told applicants that 1) it should not take longer than 4 weeks for a biometrics letter to be issued; if it does the applicant should call, and 2) the standard waiting time is 14 weeks.lynnae wrote:From what I was told, the reason the FLR M visas take so long is that the requirements are very wishy-washy. The points based visas are very straight forward, either you meet it or you don't, whereas the FLR M visas have very few areas that are simple Yes/No, there's always at least one but...luckyjinx wrote: Next week is 8 months' wait for me. Like Xiaozhu, I started complaining before I reached 6 months, and while it hasn't gotten my visa processed faster it has certainly helped to draw attention to our plight (via The Guardian) and has helped me keep my sanity. Every one of the 3 previous UK visas I applied for took no more than 4 weeks to process, so the thought of waiting until you reach 6 effing months to complain is just ridiculous.
The BA needs to be extra careful with FLR M from both an EU/UK Human rights perspective and also from an abuse of the law perspective.
I can understand it, but that doesn't mean I like or appreciate the possibility of my life being tied up and unable to do things like get a different job until the results come back. Or, because of the wishy-washiness of the requirements, being possibly faced with a rejection letter (even though we've been living together in the UK as a couple for 4 years and meet the financial requirement)
I get that there were probably a lot of iffy applications made in the week prior to July 9 that are taking them ages to get through, but with people with January bios being approved in the same weeks as people with October bios, and both of those ahead of August/September bios, then clearly there is more going on than simply iffy applications and waffling case workers - even if the more that's going on is just that they are in a complete shambles!
We are certainly all in this together. But the UKBA need to get their act in order.